Meet Cute
by LadyBethDixon
Summary: Bethyl AU- Daryl and Beth just keep running into each other and go from strangers to friends to... more? Fluffiness ensues.
1. Paint

A/N: I'm currently participating in NaNoWriMo and when my original story gets too overwhelming or hard fanfiction keeps me writing. So. This idea has been in my head for a while and this chapter kind of just wrote itself, an easy 1700 words for my NaNo word count! This story will probably be pretty light and fluffy, you've been warned. I'm not sure how many chapters there'll be but I'll see where it takes me! Thanks for reading, hope you enjoy!

One more coat of paint and the cabin would be ready to move in, Daryl decided looking at the small but refreshed space around him. The cabin had been a mess when he'd found it but he'd loved it almost instantly, possibly more than he'd loved anything else in his whole life, other than his bike. He'd found a real estate agent in town and they'd been able to track down the original owners who'd wound up being more than interested in selling the fixer upper. Within just a few weeks it was his and he'd never been so scared in all his life. Could he really do this, have a stable enough life to pay a mortgage, to fix up and maintain a house?

Even though he'd been stable for years with a good job and decent pay he'd still always felt like at any moment it could all go to shit so he'd never owned anything. He'd rented apartments and leased a truck, never buying, never settling into one spot as if that would be tempting fate. But if now wasn't the right time to take a leap there would never be a good right time. Usually it was Merle that would swoop in and ruin his stability, Merle who'd blow into town on a whim and uproot his routine. He'd wind up at a bar with a beer in his hand faster than he could blink and with Merle it was never just one beer. His brother was nothing if not a fantastic manipulator and Daryl usually wound up having to go to work the next day with a blistering hangover and hatred for his only blood relative left on this earth.

Now Merle was married with a stable job and a step kid to take care of and his brother had never been happier. He treated his wife and new daughter like they were royalty and worked hard to make sure they never had to do without like he and his brother had their whole lives. Merle still hounded Daryl but instead of dragging him to a bar he now drug him to family dinners with his girls and Daryl found himself with a play teacup in his hand instead of a beer, playing tea party with his step niece at her tiny pink play table. Merle had encouraged him to find somewhere to settle down, to find someone to settle down with, and when Daryl had told him about the cabin Merle had nearly made him go deaf from all the whooping and hollering he did.

They'd spent weeks fixing up the cabin, Merle sometimes dropping in to help with the heavy lifting, as he put it and Merle's wife Carol came sometimes to help with the smaller home repair items like painting and installing new fixtures in the bathroom and kitchen. She was had a knack for making things homey and had even planted some nice new shrubs, devoid of flowers of course, out in front of the house in small, round planters at the base of the towering trees that kept the cabin mostly shaded through the day. It almost resembled a home now, he thought proudly. A home without furniture but maybe it was like one of those Japanese style homes he'd seen in magazines with their uncluttered spaces and simplistic interior design. He could get paper screens and sit on the floor, maybe make guests remove their shoes before coming inside. He dismissed the idea with a snort to himself, imagining how much Merle would bitch about that, and added "get furniture" to his mental to do list.

Closing up, he headed for the town's hardware store to pick up one last round of paint for the living room, wondering if he should pick a color other than white. Carol had helped paint the first coat and had merely patted him on the shoulder when he'd shown her the paint, a look of pity on her face. When he'd asked her what was wrong with white she'd just shook her head and started to coat the walls with a small smile, like she knew some secret he didn't. He'd asked Merle about it but his brother hadn't been much help, only declaring that white paint was what renters and bachelors picked. Daryl felt somewhat confused by that comment because he was a bachelor after all so didn't the choice make sense?

The hardware store in town wasn't too far down the road and he took his truck in case he found other things to pick up while he was there besides paint. He mentally reviewed the long to do list in his head as he drove, trying to make sure he got everything he needed in just the one trip. When he arrived, the store owner, Ty, waved to him when he walked in and Daryl nodded back, heading to the back of the store to once again review his paint selections. Blue, yellow, green… he didn't think he'd want anything too bright, maybe brown? He could flip through one of those interior design brochures that were supposed to give you ideas but always make you feel worse about how your home looked compared to those professionally styled rooms.

On his way to the back he headed down an aisle outfitted with assorted nuts and bolts and was stunned to see a slight blonde standing in his way down the narrow aisle. She looked positively puzzled as she peered at the shelves before her, one hand nervously pulling at a loose thread on the end of her cut off shorts, and before he could back away without being noticed she lifted her head and enormous blue eyes turned to look at him.

After a startled, slightly awkward moment she recovered quickly and asked with a quick smile, "Oh, I'm sorry, do you need to get through?"

Daryl blinked for a moment, taken aback by the blue of her eyes and vaguely wondering if he should get paint in that color, before finally muttering as he tried to make some sort of retreat, "Nah, you're fine."

As he turned to go she threw a hand towards a shelf with washers and asked somewhat desperately, "You know anything about this stuff?"

Daryl turned back towards her and glanced at where her fingers were pointed before lifting a shoulder in a shrug, "Some."

She strode towards him with a new sense of determination and held out a small hand, "I'm Beth, Beth Greene."

Daryl stared at her hand, his brain still catching up, then took it lightly in his and grunted, "Alright."

She rolled her eyes at him, she really did, then asked with good natured impatience, "What's your name?"

"Daryl," He answered almost automatically, wondering who this person was, Beth he mentally corrected, and where she got off rolling her eyes at him.

His slight annoyance was completely forgotten though when she positively beamed with a smile that made him forget his damn name. It was a good thing he'd already given it, maybe she could remind him.

"Well Daryl," She went on, pressing a diagram of a sink into his hands, "I have a leaky faucet and I was trying to fix it myself to save some money but then I realized I have no idea how." She cocked her head to the side as she peered up at him and asked again, "So, do you know anything about fixing sinks?" She hoisted an enormous patterned bag higher up on her shoulder as she waited for him to answer, her eyebrows raised slightly in hope.

Daryl blinked at her again then looked at the diagram she'd given him for a moment. He knew this stuff, had taught himself everything he needed to know when he'd redone the bathrooms in his cabin. He could do this, he just needed to get his damn brain working again.

He walked to the shelves and started handing her things he thought she might need to fix a leaky faucet and she accepted each one without question, placing every item in her bright red shopping basket without asking why. It was odd to be so trusted by someone he'd just met but also kind of reassuring too. She obviously wasn't afraid of him, which was saying something given that he looked like he'd be at home in a biker bar with his tattoos and long hair. Most people were afraid of him at first glance but this tiny, determined blonde seemed braver than them all.

He dropped one final thing in her hand and then shifted a little uncomfortably for a second before asking gruffly, "Ya got tools?"

The eyes went for a roll again and he watched in fascination. Where on earth had this girl come from?

"Yes," She replied with a hint of a huff in her voice, "My daddy gave me a set when I moved out the first time." She glanced down into her basket and then added with a small hint of doubt, "I never needed them until now, though."

She looked a little lost then, her small hand rifling through the things he'd chosen for her absently as if she were hoping they'd speak to her and tell her what to do with them. He could help her, he thought. He knew this stuff, he could fix her sink for her, do whatever else she needed help with…

Time to check out, he decided as he started to back away. She could get help from her Daddy or Ty, she didn't need him to follow her home like some damn puppy. Girl like her was better off not finding out why everyone else in town was hesitant around people like him.

She seemed to notice his subtle retreat, her huge eyes flicking towards him again and tracing the steps he was taking away from her. She smiled a little, a faint blush creeping across her cheeks as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind one ear, "Thanks for your help. I'm… I'm sorry I sort of just made you help me. You were very nice. My family always tells me I can be a bit… enthusiastic so… yeah, thanks."

She spun quickly on her heel and strode towards the front of the store, her white Keds squeaking a little against the concrete floor. He watched her go, still feeling a little stunned in the wake of the past few minutes, then he shook himself a little inside and headed for… right. The paint aisle. He'd come to pick up paint for the cabin. Paint. Blue paint. Yeah, blue would be nice.


	2. Pizzeria

A/N: Thank you to everyone who responded to the first chapter, I appreciate every comment, follow, and favorite!

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"You should've just called me, Beth," Glenn said with a frown, "I would've helped you fix your sink, no problem."

"Glenn," Beth replied, rolling her eyes at her brother in law with a patient smile, "You're about as good at this kind of thing as I am!"

"But between the two of us we definitely could've figured it out," Glenn continued to argue as he flipped a circle of pizza dough in the air, watching it spin like a giant, floured frisbee. He caught it and added sullenly, "Why'd you have to call Maggie? She's never going to let me live it down."

Beth finished layering pepperoni on a pizza and turned to him, placing a sympathetic hand on his shoulder, "I told her not to tease you about it and she agreed, just this once." Glenn rolled his eyes but smiled his thanks. Beth smiled at him and added, "Besides Maggie can't cook for anything and everyone knows you make the world's best pizza."

"It's all in the sauce," Glenn replied confidently, smoothing a ladle of red marinara across the newly tossed pizza crust with a flourish.

"Really?" Beth asked innocently, "I thought it was the crust that made the pizza?"

She proceeded to listen for the next ten minutes as Glenn explained why the sauce makes the pizza, quietly layering pepperoni's, mushrooms, sausages, and green peppers in a circular pattern as she listened. She could've recited the speech by heart, having spent years working weekends at her sister and brother- in- laws' pizzeria but she let Glenn talk, knowing it would make him feel better about her calling her sister for help with home repairs over him. Glenn loved to fix things, he just wasn't any good at it, and that knowledge always wounded his pride just a little bit, especially when Maggie showed him up. It didn't help that Maggie loved to tease him relentlessly about just how bad he really was with a wrench or hammer and now she had a new occasion to add insult to injury. Thankfully Beth had negotiated a cease fire but she doubted Maggie wouldn't at least get in a few cheap shots before Glenn threatened her with divorce.

Beth placed the pizza she'd just finished decorating into the oven and retrieved the one that was done baking, smiling at the choice of toppings: all the meat Rhee's Pizza offered with pineapple. She knew whose pizza this was. She slid it onto a plastic serving tray and grabbed a metal riser for the table and a stack of three plates before pushing through the double doors and out into the restaurant dining area.

Merle Dixon sat with his wife Carol and her daughter Sophia, flicking paper straw wrappers rolled into tiny balls at the girl. Sophia had her hands extended with her index fingers held up to form a goal post and was giggling wildly as Merle lined up another shot. Carol berated them both but didn't make a move to stop them, her hazel eyes alight with humor.

"World's best pizza with the world's worst combination of toppings," Beth announced as she approached the table and Merle leaned back in the booth with a toothy grin.

"That's your opinion and you're entitled to it, even if you are wrong," He replied and Sophia giggled again. "How you doin', girl?"

Beth slid the riser onto the table and then placed the pizza on top as she returned his smile, "I'm good, Merle. And how's the Dixon clan?"

"Rowdy," Carol answered with exaggerated patience as she scooped straw wrapper balls into her palm.

"So, business as usual then?" Beth replied with a wink at Sophia.

"We ain't rowdy," Merle argued with exaggerated hurt, "We just get overexcited 'bout pizza night."

"That's putting it mildly," Carol commented dryly, thanking Beth as she handed them a stack of plates and Carol traded the plates for the debris from the table football that had taken place and an empty buffalo wings appetizer basket. Carol divvied the plates out then asked, "Can we get one more? My brother- in- law is joining us tonight."

"Of course," Beth replied, quickly turning to get another plate while wondering why she'd never known Merle had a brother.

As she turned away from the table she slammed right into something hard that let out a small grunt at the impact. The empty wings basket went flying with a spray of straw wrappers and Beth started to fall backwards before a strong hand grabbed her arm quickly, keeping her upright.

"Oh! I am so sorry!" She exclaimed to the customer who'd ended up with a wings basket on his head before turning back to the person she'd run into for a second round of apologies. "I'm such a clutz…" Her eyes met steel blue and she recognized the man that had helped her in the hardware store, Daryl. She blushed furiously as she realized he was still gripping her arm and stammered, "Really I should be locked up for other people's safety…"

Daryl released her once she seemed to be stable enough to stand on her own feet and asked in a gruff voice, "Ya alright?"

"Fine, I'm fine," she assured him, back- stepping towards the kitchen where she could hide until her face stopped flaming red. She waved off Carol and Merle who were half out of their seats in shock, "I'm okay, really. I'll go get your extra plate…"

She sped into the kitchen as quickly as she could without actually running and headed for the far corner where she could hide behind a stack of pizza boxes. Glenn was pulling a pizza from the oven and called with concern, "You okay? What happened out there? I heard a crash!"

"Nothing!" Beth exclaimed, "Just me being clumsy at a professional level!"

"Oh," Glenn replied, turning back to his work without a second thought.

Beth darted into the corner, out of the view of the restaurant that could be seen through the cutout window between the kitchen and the dining room. She steadied herself against the wall, focusing on slowing her breathing and reasoning with herself that she shouldn't be embarrassed, accidents happen all the time. Of course she was mostly embarrassed because out of all the people to run into it had to be Daryl, the same person she'd practically forced to help her at the hardware store now clearly getting a second look at how manic she could be. She sighed, looking up at the ceiling and silently asking God why, why of all people had it been Daryl? She didn't know why but she didn't want to look like a fool in front of him. She shook herself and straightened up, forcing the embarrassment away with a determined shove. She was wasting time, she had other customers to help and she couldn't spend the rest of her shift hiding because of a simple mishap.

"Beth?" Glenn called to her from the other side of the boxes, "This pizza is ready… when you are… although if you take too long it'll get cold… but I can make another if you need more time…"

Beth gave herself one last shake and walked out from her hiding spot to retrieve the pizza Glenn had placed on the counter. She added a plate to the stack she picked up for the other table and pushed through the door again, hating the feeling of warmth that instantly flooded her cheeks again as she strode back out into the dining room. She delivered the pizza to the right table, giving apologies for the wait, then grabbed a slice of pie from the refrigerated case behind the register and took it to the man who'd received a wing basket hat earlier, apologizing profusely again as she handed him dessert on the house.

She took the extra plate to Merle and Carol's table and decided she wasn't as surprised as she should be to find Daryl sitting with them. She approached and handed him the plate with a hesitant smile, saying again, "I'm so sorry about before, really."

Daryl lifted a shoulder in a shrug and replied, "Don't worry 'bout it."

Beth found she was a little transfixed by this man of few words and she blinked for a moment before forcing her attention away from him to Merle, asking conversationally, "So Merle, I take it Daryl is your brother?"

Merle grinned at her again, clapping a hand on Daryl's shoulder as he answered, "Yes ma'am, this here's my baby brother. Daryl, this here's Beth. Ya almost ran her over earlier, 'member?"

Beth felt her face flush again as Daryl replied sourly, "Shut up, Merle."

Hoping to change the subject, Beth asked brightly, "So why didn't you tell me you have a brother, Merle? You've been coming in here for years and I've seen you at least once a week ever since you got married."

Merle shrugged good- naturedly, mirroring his brother, "He ain't been 'round here for too long but you'll probably be seeing more of 'em now that he's got his place fixed up. Ain't that right, Daryl?"

Daryl lifted his shoulder again, "Yeah, maybe." He looked up at Beth and added, "Been orderin' from here for a while, jus' first time I've come in."

"Well that explains why I've never seen you in here before," Beth replied with a smile, "And why I met you the first time at a hardware store."

"So Beth is the girl you helped out yesterday?" Carol asked, her eyes going from Daryl to Beth shrewdly. Beth noticed the back of Daryl's ears going red as he reached for a slice of pizza with a noncommittal grunt. Carols eyes narrowed like the proverbial cat that swallowed the canary and she continued knowingly, "So that's why you chose blue."

Beth looked between them, wondering what on earth that meant, and felt a quick thrill shoot through her at the thought of Daryl mentioning her to someone else. Apparently she'd made an impression, although time would tell if it had been a good one.

"This is disgusting," Daryl muttered after his first bite of pizza, lowering it to his plate to pick off the chunks of pineapple.

"Ya just lack any real taste for the finer things in life," Merle argued and Sophia nodded enthusiastically in agreement.

"I'll check in on y'all later," Beth said with a laugh, feeling like it was time for her to take her leave from the family dinner.

Beth went back to help Glenn in the kitchen then helped serve pizzas and clear tables. Saturday night was always their busiest night and with Maggie out sick things were even more hectic. Before she knew it she was handing Merle the check and he and his family were leaving, waving and calling goodbye to her.

Daryl went with them and as he went to step through the door he must have felt her watching them leave because he turned slightly and looked back at her, nodding once and saying, "Nice seein' ya."

She smiled at him, lifting a hand in farewell then he was gone and Beth watched through the windows as he hugged Sophia and Carol then went to a motorcycle and started it up with a roar, disappearing down the small town road.

A customer drew her attention and she wrote down their order with an apology, heading back into the kitchen and thinking maybe tonight she'd have some all meat pizza herself, with no pineapple on top.


	3. Garage

A/N: This was turning into a super long chapter so I decided to split it into two smaller parts. The second half should be up before too long, just need to finish it! Thanks for reading!

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Daryl watched as his brake job pulled away from the garage, taking a drink of water in the cool office. Dale eyed him for a moment before suggesting, "You know if you don't have any appointments and your bay is clean you can go. One of the others can handle any walk ins and I know you're dying to get that cabin of yours finished."

Daryl lifted a shoulder and took another drink of water as he responded, "I'm on for eight hours. Ain't gonna cut out early on my shift." His eyes shifted from the empty parking lot and focused on his boss as he added dryly, "Unless you don't wanna pay me."

Dale let out a laugh, his dark brown eyes going from serious to sparkling with mirth. "You got me," He conceded, clapping Daryl on the shoulder as he passed him on his way to the back office, "I'm just being cheap."

Daryl snorted in response and returned to watching the parking lot, hoping someone would show up. It was an unusually slow day and his one appointment was already out the door, leaving his afternoon wide open. Despite his banter with Dale he didn't want to leave and Dale didn't want him to feel like he should. Daryl wanted to work as long as his shift required, longer if they were busy, and Dale seemed to understand Daryl's need to keep his word above anything else.

Daryl was about to go tidy his bay again, clean what was already clean and maybe see if one of the other mechanics needed help, when a small hatchback pulled up in front of the garage. Daryl stood up from where he was leaning against the counter and called to Dale, "I got this one."

"Yep," Dale agreed from his office, not lifting his eyes from the newspaper spread out before him.

Daryl walked outside, waving the car towards his bay. He waited for the driver to turn it off and step out of the car, squinting a little in the bright sun. His eyes registered a halo of blonde before the person asked somewhat incredulously, "Daryl?"

He lifted a hand to shade his eyes and blinked. Of course. "Beth," He responded stupidly.

She smiled at him, removing black sunglasses and hoisting a slouchy purse onto her shoulder, "Hey, I thought that was you! I didn't know you worked here."

"Yeah, couple months now," Daryl replied, still taking her in as she stood in the sunshine, reflecting it like it was a part of her, something that she took within herself and then spread out into the world. He cleared his throat, trying to shake himself out of the stupor he found himself in, and added, "Used to work a few towns over but wanted somethin' closer."

"Well, Dale's is the best. My family has been bringing our cars here for years," Beth continued conversationally.

"Yeah, it's a decent shop," Daryl agreed, shifting in place before asking, "What's goin' on with your ride?"

Beth turned towards her car as if she'd forgotten why she was there then answered with a small laugh, "Oh, sorry! Oil change."

Daryl nodded and flicked his wrist towards it in what he hoped was a casually confident way and stated, "Shouldn't take too long, if you wanna wait inside."

"Oh, okay," She agreed, quickly darting towards the side door that lead into the air conditioned office.

Off-handedly and almost without meaning to, he called out to her, "Or ya can wait out here if ya want, won't bother me none." When she spun around to peer back at him with her eyebrows raised in a hopeful expression he tacked on, "Up to you, do what ya want."

"Okay," She replied, taking a step closer, away from the office and towards him, a small hand reaching up to brush a loose strand of pale hair behind one ear. She glanced around, no doubt taking note of the other mechanics who were currently studiously attending to their own work, and declared, "I'll stay out here then, if you're sure you don't mind. It's such a nice day."

Daryl lifted a shoulder to shrug, not sure why he'd offered but not regretting it one bit. He liked listening to her talk and something about her was just easy, comforting almost. She rolled her eyes at his nonchalance and he turned away before she could see his smile in response, heading for his bench. She sat on one of the worn, old chairs that were scattered about the garage and pulled a phone from her enormous purse. She seemed to be texting and he went about the oil change, a little confused and equally amazed that he didn't feel uncomfortable about her sitting there, watching him work.

A radio played through the speakers in the garage and after a while he noticed she was singing and humming quietly along to almost every song. He listened to her for a while, liking the clean, pure tone of her voice in his ears, before he casually noted, "There a song ya don't know?"

"Oh, sorry!" She quickly apologized, looking up from her phone with a worried smile. "I don't even realize I'm doing it half the time."

"Don't mind none," Daryl reassured her, wishing he'd kept his damn mouth shut. After a moment of awkward silence he tacked on, "Ya got a good voice. I like it." He felt his ears go warm and he quickly ducked down to disappear under the car, hearing a light laugh behind him.

"Thanks, Daryl," Beth responded with genuine gratitude, her voice finding him even beneath the car. She kept singing, voice still soft but he could hear it and again his damn lips betrayed him with a smile.

He finished up the oil change in what felt like record time and he almost considered stalling a little, maybe finding something else to fix on the car, but he knew that wouldn't be right so he finally stood up and stated, "All done."

Beth looked up, stopping her humming mid-verse, and asked with surprise, "Really?"

Daryl shrugged a shoulder, "Wasn't a hard job. Could do oil changes in my sleep." He wanted to slap himself hard, realizing he was bragging a little and hoped Beth didn't notice.

"Okay, well, let me run inside and pay so I can get out of your way. I'm sure you have others customers…" She replied, turning to gather her purse and put the chair back.

"Nah, been slow today," Daryl corrected, reaching a hand back to scratch his neck anxiously. He didn't want her to go but he didn't have a good reason to make her stay. He watched as she disappeared inside and turned to quickly clean up any grease smudges he might have made on the paint of her car.

"You should take her to lunch, man," T suggested from the other side of the garage, his smile wide.

"Yeah, she likes you," Zach observed, "She chose to stay out here rather than sit inside and she sure smiles a lot at you."

"That's just her," Daryl defended absently, wondering if that were really true or if she did smile at him a lot more than she did other people.

"No girl smiles that much unless she has a reason to," T observed wisely, his eyebrows raised knowingly.

Daryl shifted uncomfortably, wondering if they were right. Zach started to work his way over, taking his gloves off, and declared, "Well if you aren't going to ask her, I will."

Daryl raised a hand and flicked it at his co-worker, growling, "Get the hell back to your station, man."

Zach raised his hands in surrender, eyebrows raised in an I-told-you-so manner, and T laughed loudly as he called, "You ain't gonna ask her but you won't let anyone else either. You can't tell me you're not interested!"

Beth pushed through the office door, silencing the other mechanics, and approached with another bright smile, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear as she stated, "Dale told me to tell you to take me to lunch." She laughed nervously and tacked on, "You don't have to, I just promised to pass on his message."

Daryl blinked at her, realizing the longer he stayed silent the more uncomfortable she got, before finally blurting, "Yeah, alright." He glanced down at his hands covered in grease and oil and added, "Lemme wash up first."

"Okay," Beth replied, her confidence back as she blasted him with another thousand watt smile.

When he stepped into the office, heading for the small bathroom, Dale called from his office, "Beth tell you what I said?"

"Yeah, gonna take her to lunch," Daryl replied with a small grumble. He wished he'd had enough guts to ask her himself without his boss and half the garage getting involved but found he couldn't be too mad at any of them if the end result was more time with Beth.

"Good!" Dale approved, still calling from where he sat at his desk with the daily newspaper still spread out before him. "Take her to the diner, she'll like that I think."

Daryl grumbled to himself as he washed up then headed back out, jerking his head towards the door as Beth approached, "Wanna walk? The diner ain't far, they have decent food."

"Okay, sure," Beth agreed, as they headed for the door, soon falling into step beside him as they headed down the sidewalk.


	4. Diner

A/N: Thank you to everyone for the support you've given this story! Really, you just have no idea how much it means to me! This picks up where the last chapter left off, hope you enjoy!

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The sun beat down on them as they walked and Daryl started to feel beads of sweat gathering along his spine. It wasn't a terribly hot day so he expected the perspiration had more to do with the blonde beside him than the temperature of the air. The silence weighed heavy between them to the point where the scuffs of their shoes against the sidewalk seemed to echo all around. Daryl felt taut as a wire, not sure what to say to her, what to do. He barely knew this girl, what business did he have going to lunch with her?

Beth cleared her throat lightly, drawing his attention away from his internal war, and asked, "How's your cabin going? Are you almost done with it?"

Feeling a wave of relief wash over him, yes this was something he could talk about, Daryl drew a hand back to absently scratch his neck as he replied, "Yeah, 's been done for a while, livable anyway. Jus' finishin' the interior stuff, baseboards and paintin'." He glanced over at her, and added, "Finally picked a color last week that Carol was happy with."

Beth returned his gaze with a smile as she asked, "Let me guess. It was all white before?" Daryl snorted lightly, dipping his head once in concession and Beth laughed, breathy and light. "I knew it," She declared, "When my brother moved to Atlanta he had a condo. All white walls for an entire year before his girlfriend finally got him to paint them something else."

"White's clean," Daryl argued good-naturedly, "Ain't gotta have color."

"White is boring," Beth replied firmly, "It has no personality, no feeling. You need a color to really make a home, something to express yourself in the space."

"Sound like one of those tv shows," Daryl grumbled, feeling his lips twitch slightly at the thought of Beth running a crew of remodelers, tiny and intimidating as she barked out orders to paint the walls in a rainbow of colors.

Beth shrugged, nonplussed, and replied, "I took an interior design course in school, mostly for fun and because I thought it might be something I'd want to do when I graduated. I learned a few things."

"I definitely ain't gonna let ya see my place then," Daryl decided.

Beth laughed again and he could feel it along his spine, short zaps of electricity as if her voice were a live wire. "Oh come on, Daryl," Beth pleaded, looking up at him as the walked, "I promise I will only offer friendly advice, no criticism. After all, the house is yours, not mine."

Daryl met her eyes for a moment then nodded once, "Alright. When Carol sees it and approves then I'll have ya over." He froze a little mentally, realizing he'd basically invited her over alone to his cabin in the woods, so he quickly added once his brain caught up to his mouth, "Bring Maggie and Glenn. I'll have Merle, Carol, and Sophia come too."

"A housewarming!" Beth declared, sounding excited at the prospect, and Daryl relaxed. "I'll definitely be there," She assured him.

They reached the diner, a small building with the classic booths and counter seating. A bored teenager in a bright yellow waitress uniform seated them in a booth then promptly disappeared without another word. Beth looked at Daryl across the table, smiling slightly and shaking her head. Daryl raised a shoulder and consulted the menu he'd been handed, even though he always got the same thing.

"Hey Daryl!" A friendly voice called and he turned his head to see Irma, Dale's wife, approaching with a big smile. "I didn't know you were comin' in today!" Her smiling eyes went to Beth and seemed to sharpen slightly as she asked with a suggestive lilt in her voice, "And who's your friend?"

Daryl stiffened slightly, instinctively, as Irma wrapped an arm around his shoulders in a half hug and responded, "This is Beth." He glanced at Beth, noting her somewhat perplexed expression and tacked on, "Beth, this is Irma, Dale's wife."

Beth blinked for a moment then understanding rushed over her and she smiled at Irma as she replied, "It's nice to meet you. My family's been going to Dale's garage for years. I can't believe we've never met before now."

"Your family?" Irma asked, searching Beth's face as if looking for a hint.

"My daddy is Hershel Greene," Beth supplied with a smile.

"Your Hershel's youngest?" Irma asked, her face widening into an open smile, "Well, it's nice to meet you, Beth. I know your daddy well. You tell him I say hi."

"I will," Beth promised and Irma nodded once and returned her attention to Daryl. She tapped him on the shoulder with her order pad and asked knowingly, "You want your usual, hon?" Daryl could feel the back of his neck warm a little but he nodded. Irma patted his shoulder and looked at Beth, "He's a creature of habit, this one. What would you like, Beth?"

"A cheeseburger with fries and a coke, please," Beth replied.

"Well that's one thing y'all have in common already," Irma commented as she reached for the menus.

"I'm sorry?" Beth inquired, looking confusedly between Daryl and Irma.

Irma smiled knowingly and answered, "That's Daryl's usual, cheeseburger with fries and a coke."

"Oh," Beth replied, her cheeks flushing slightly as her eyes met Daryl's across the table. She straightened a little in her seat and added, "Well, I guess he's got good taste then."

Irma studied Beth for a moment, her brown eyes sharpening, and finally she said, "I think he does." She turned away and disappeared behind the door to the kitchen and Daryl wished like hell he'd taken Beth anywhere else, somewhere where people didn't know him so well and wouldn't make thinly veiled comments all the damn time.

His eyes flew up from his study of a crumbled straw wrapper to meet Beth's when she let out a somewhat muffled laugh. Her cheeks were still pink but her eyes glittered with humor and she laughed again, this time letting it go free, light and breathy in the din of the diner.

"What?" He asked, wondering what she could find funny, if she was laughing at him.

Beth quickly shook her head and answered quickly, her voice still light with laughter, "Nothing it's just… people seem to really know you around here, whether you want them to or not."

"Bunch of nosey damn people," He grumbled in reply, returning his gaze to the tabletop.

Beth shrugged a shoulder, still smiling but trying to keep it more contained now, "It's nice, having so many people that care about you." She tilted her head slightly when he met her eyes again and added, "You're lucky."

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat but nodded once, replying in a low voice, "Yeah." He looked around the diner, looking for something else to say, something to explain, then tacked on, "Guess I'm still gettin' used to it."

Beth's eyes were steady on his face, her face less happy and more contemplative as she took in his words. He found he didn't feel as uncomfortable as he thought he would, sharing that tiny hint about his past with her. She didn't say anything in reply but he could read her words on her face. She wanted to know more but wouldn't ask, didn't need to know more unless he was willing to share it without being asked.

Irma interrupted the silence by placing two cheeseburgers on the table, her eyes flicking back and forth between them as she directed, "Y'all eat up and let me know if you need anythin'."

Beth's eyes broke away from Daryl's as she smiled at the waitress, "Thanks, we will."

They both focused on their burgers, adding ketchup and mustard with mayo and lettuce, both opting to remove the tomato slices but add pickles. Daryl smirked when Beth started to laugh and she observed, "Okay, now this is getting creepy!" He lifted a shoulder in response and she asked, "Do you cut yours in half or eat it whole?"

"Whole," Daryl answered, picking the bun up with two hands to take a large bite.

Beth wrinkled her nose, still smiling, and replied, "Okay, good. I always cut mine in half. Good to know we're not exactly alike."

They ate mostly in silence, though it was companionable and not uncomfortable at all. Occasionally they talked, mostly about nothing. Daryl told her about Sophia and the girl's school play that was going on the following week. Beth spoke about her brother-in-law's business and how busy he'd been lately and how often Maggie had been sick, worrying a little over her sister as Daryl listened with a slight frown.

Once they'd finished, Irma returned and recommended some desserts with a suggestive nudge at Daryl, but Beth turned it down, stating she had to get over to the pizzeria to help with the afternoon and evening shifts. Daryl paid, despite Beth's protest, and soon they were back out in the sunshine, walking back to the garage.

"I had fun today," Beth commented as they walked side by side. She glanced up at Daryl with a small smile and added, "Thanks for lunch, even though it wasn't really your idea."

Daryl looked at her and felt his lips twitch into a small smile, "Nah, never would've had the bal… brains to ask ya."

Beth snorted lightly at his quick change in word choice and replied, "Well, I'm glad Dale forced you."

He snorted too and then, after deliberating for a moment, asked quickly, "So… I'll let ya know when the cabin's done, have ya over? With Glenn and Maggie and everyone?"

She smiled broadly and nodded enthusiastically, "That sounds good. It'll be fun, I promise."

He looked down at his feet, scuffing the heel of his work boot into the concrete for a second before glancing up at her through the long fringe of his hair, "Yeah, ain't never had no housewarming before. You'll have to let me know what I need to get for it."

Beth's smile brightened even more as she instructed, "Well for a housewarming usually the guests bring you things, like gifts or food."

"Well hell, that sounds alright," Daryl replied, feeling his own usual frown dissipating into a small smile. He considered that for a moment but then tacked on, "Don't want no gifts though. It'd be cool for people to just bring food."

Beth nodded in agreement and reached into her bag for her cell phone. She quickly tapped then looked up at him, "I gotta get going to the restaurant but you mind giving me your number so we can talk more about this later?"

Daryl blinked at her for a long moment, eyes staring uncomprehendingly at the small hand gripping the huge phone decorated in brightly colored music notes.

"Daryl?" She asked, eyes a little anxious now, like she was second guessing herself. "You don't have to, just thought…"

"Nah," He quickly corrected, snapping his brain out its fugue state once again. She wanted his number, wanted to be able to talk to him more. It didn't compute, didn't make sense. But there she was, staring at him patiently, waiting for him to supply the information so she could do just that. He swallowed hard and rattled off his number, half listening as she read the number back then nodding once. He watched as she quickly pulled a small notepad and pen from her bag and scribbled something on it in small, loopy letters. She handed it to him with a shy smile and clarified, "Here's my number, so you'll know it's me."

He took the scrap of paper, his eyes tracing the curled letters of her name and the small smiley face she'd added to the end of the string of numbers. He looked back up at her and nodded, his voice coming out lower than he expected, "Thanks."

Her smile returned as she tucked the phone back in her back and she confirmed happily, "So I'll let Glenn and Maggie know, see if they'll be able to come, then I'll call you?" He nodded again, imagining his number in her phone next to her daddy or sister, out of place and awkward.

She glanced around, almost looking sad to leave, her own feet shuffling unsure against the concrete, and commented, "Okay, well, I really should go."

"Yeah," He agreed, hearing the reluctance in his own voice and feeling totally confused by it. He met her eyes again and she smiled softly, raising a small hand in a wave as she turned to head towards her car. He moved to stand outside the office door, watching as she put the car in reverse and turned out into the street, disappearing around a corner.

His fingers curled around the scrap of paper in his hand and he turned to head inside, heading to his small locker to tuck the paper securely in the pocket of his jacket. He'd ask Carol later to put the number into his phone, realizing he had no idea how to work the damn thing. Maybe he should ask Sophia instead, he thought absently as he headed back out into the garage to work on the newest walk in. Sophia would be cool, she wouldn't give him a hard time. Carol would probably ask tons of questions he had no idea how to answer and give him looks that would make him uncomfortable. His mind on that scrap of paper and the smile she'd left him with, Daryl went back to work.

"How'd it go?" T called loudly and the low level din the garage quickly went quiet.

Daryl looked up at him and lifted a shoulder, "Alright, jus' went to the diner."

"Man, you took her to the diner?" Zach asked, incredulous. Daryl frowned at him and he backed off a little but then commented so everyone could hear, "Well, she must've been okay with it, I saw her give you her number."

"You got her number?" T yelled, his face breaking into a wide grin. "Man, you move faster than we thought!"

"Ain't y'all got nothin' else better to do?" Daryl responded, his voice gruff as he turned away from them, hoping they'd take the hint.

"No," Zach replied instantly.

T snorted but responded, "Alright, alright, we'll leave ya alone… for now."

Daryl snorted too, "Thanks."


	5. Phone

A/N: Finally an update on something! I hope you all enjoy and thank you for putting up with me. Side note, there's not a whole lot of Bethyl interaction in this chapter but I'm setting up some other things so bear with me.

* * *

"I hate seeing you like this," Beth commented as she gently smoothed Maggie's hair away from her sweaty face, her other hand running soothingly up and down her sister's back.

Maggie smiled weakly and replied drily, "That makes two of us."

Beth snorted lightly then winced as Maggie's head dipped towards the toilet again, her shoulders heaving as she threw up again. Beth hummed softly as she reached for the damp washcloth that was cooling in some water, wringing it out before draping it across the back of her sister's neck. A few more dry heaves and Maggie sat back again, breathing heavily with closed eyes as she fought back the nausea.

"This has been going on too long now, Mags," Beth said quietly, once again brushing her sister's hair back from her face. "You can't keep anything down and Glenn is worried sick. We all are, me and Daddy too."

Maggie opened her eyes and looked at Beth, frowning a little, "Is that why you came over? Glenn sent you? I told him I was fine…"

Beth frowned back, "I showed up at the pizzeria to help out and he could barely function he was so worried. It was my idea to come over." She reached for the handle on the toilet to flush away Maggie's last round and added, "And you're not fine. It's been weeks, Maggie, and you're not getting better. You need to see a doctor."

Maggie scooted until her back was pressed against the wall and sighed heavily, "Yeah, you may be right." She smiled softly at Beth, reaching for her hand, "Thank you for coming, really. This time was the worst it's been so I'm glad you were here."

Beth returned her smile and squeezed her hand, "Come on, I'll call the doctor for you to make an appointment." She stood then reached down to help her sister get up too, helping her move slowly into the living room so she could rest in comfort on the couch. Beth retrieved her phone and handed it to her, instructing, "Call you husband so he doesn't burn the restaurant down."

Maggie accepted the phone with a faint laugh and Beth went to get her own phone to call the doctor. Maggie was going to get checked out, whether she wanted to or not.

An appointment was made for the following day and Glenn was soothed for the time being so Beth handed Maggie a sleeve of Saltines and some water before sitting next to her, turning the tv on to some horrible reality show that neither would watch but would lend some comforting background noise.

"So I had lunch with Daryl today," Beth said casually, eyes trained on the television screen.

Maggie paused mid-Saltine and nudged Beth with a foot, "You did? This is the guy you keep running into, right? Carol's brother-in-law?"

"Yeah, that's the one," Beth confirmed, trying to keep her tone casual.

Maggie stared at her expectantly then pressed with another nudge, "And? How'd it go? Do you like him?"

Beth filled her in on the circumstance of their lunch, how Daryl had practically forced into it but that she thought he'd had a good time. Finally she added quietly, "I barely know him but he's sweet and it was just comfortable between us, you know?"

Maggie sighed a little, chomping on a Saltine as she pondered the information. Finally she responded sagely, "Comfortable is good, I think, but comfortable can also be all there is, you know? Good for just being friends."

Beth nodded but then replied with a barely concealed smile, "I don't think that's the case here, at least not for me."

Maggie sat up a little, eagerly crunching another Saltine as she pressed, "So you do like him?"

Beth lifted a shoulder, smiling even as she felt her cheeks warm, and replied, "Yeah, I think so."

Maggie pulled her into a hug, rocking back and forth happily, "Oh I'm so happy for you, Bethy!"

"Okay," Beth responded, gently pushing her away, "Don't start planning the wedding yet, I don't know if he even feels that way about me. He may just want to be friends."

Maggie waved her off but agreed, "Alright, I'll contain myself, but I just want you to be open, okay? Lord knows you've had a run of bad luck but honey it only takes one good one to make it all worth while."

Beth smiled, grateful to have Maggie as her sister, and then added to lighten the mood a little, "Well, you would know."

Maggie snorted, leaning back and stretching out again on the couch, "Yeah, I kissed a decent number of frogs in my day to find that one damn prince." Her face relaxed a little and she looked at Beth with pure happiness, "And he sure was worth it, even when he leaves his socks on the floor."

Beth laughed, "Okay, I'll try to remember that." She suddenly remembered what she'd discussed with Daryl about his housewarming and asked, "Would you and Glenn want to come to Daryl's housewarming? It'll probably be in the next few weeks."

"Daryl's having a housewarming?" Maggie asked, sounding a little confused.

Beth smiled a little sheepishly and supplied, "It was kind of my idea but he seemed to like it so…"

Maggie smiled knowingly, "Of course he did, you suggested it!" Beth rolled her eyes in response so Maggie answered, "Sure, I'd love to meet him. Glenn knows him a little but trying to get information from him is like talking to the wall. He'd be able to tell me what kind of car Daryl drives but not the color of his hair."

"Men," Beth commented playfully, "No idea what's really important." Maggie agreed with a solemn nod. Beth laughed then continued, "Okay, well, I'll tell him you guys are in. He should have an idea of when it'll be done soon, he said he's just finishing up interior painting."

Maggie raised a finger at her sister, "You didn't go on a rant about white walls, did you? He's a single guy, Bethy, and there's nothing wrong with white. Tell me you didn't."

Beth refocused on the television, "We talked about it and he's already picked his colors. Blue, not white. Apparently Carol helped him."

Maggie shook her head, exasperated as she ate another Saltine, "You and your paint colors, I swear. Poor Glenn is afraid to ever paint again after the lecture you gave him."

"Speaking of Glenn," Beth replied, mostly ignoring her, "I better get back, if you're okay now?" Maggie waved off her concern and Beth gave her a hug, calling as she headed for the door, "Call us if you need anything, okay? Promise?"

"Sure, I promise," Maggie replied, her tone suggesting the opposite. Beth rolled her eyes, silently vowing to text her sister constantly for the next few hours.

As she drove the short distance to the pizza parlor, Beth pulled up Daryl's number and called it, clearing her throat as her heart fluttered slightly in her chest at the thought of hearing his voice. Disappointment flared as the call went to voicemail but she forced a cheerful tone as she left a message, telling him Maggie and Glenn would be happy to come to the housewarming when he finished the cabin. She tried to think of something else to say but wound up giving a lame goodbye and hanging up as she pulled into the parking lot of the pizzeria.

"Oh good, glad you're here," Glenn said as soon as Beth arrived in the kitchen, tying on a plain white apron over her clothes. He paused for a moment to ask, "Is Maggie okay now, really?"

"Didn't she call you?" Beth asked.

Glenn nodded, "Sure but you know how she is. Woman could be in excruciating pain and she'd still blow it off."

"Right," Beth agreed, then answered, "She seemed okay when I left, sitting on the couch and eating Saltines. I called and made an appointment with the doctor tomorrow though, just to be safe."

Glenn looked worried but replied, "Thanks, I'll make sure she goes. This isn't normal, no matter what she thinks."

Beth moved forward to give him a quick, reassuring hug, then straightened, "Okay, where do you need me?"

She worked in a flurry for the next few hours, helping to serve and check out customers, make and bake the pizzas, even clearing tables. The small town only had a handful of restaurants and Glenn and Maggie's pizzeria was doing well for itself so far with a steady stream of patrons from lunch through dinner. The food was excellent and the town really supported the young couple's efforts to run a successful business, opting to purchase their food from the family owned Rhee's Pizza rather than the Domino's down the street. Beth was so proud of them and she enjoyed her hours spent working with Glenn, even if it was exhausting.

"How are you, Beth?" Lori Grimes asked when Beth returned to the counter with her pizza for pick-up.

Beth smiled brightly at her and responded honestly, "Busy but good! How's the Grimes family?"

"Rick is working late and Carl has a baseball game so we're having a quick dinner tonight," Lori responded with a weary smile. She handed Beth her credit card to pay for the pizza and continued, "Plus the school play is this week and our accompanist is sick. There's only a few days until the show, I don't know what I'm going to do."

Beth returned her the card and asked, "What's the play? I play piano, maybe I can help if I'm familiar with the music."

"Really?" Lori asked, looking so relieved Beth didn't know if she could ever turn her down. "We're doing Annie this year. The little girl playing Annie is marvelous, really, and the kids have worked so hard."

Beth smiled brightly and replied, "Well, I know that music fairly well, I'd be happy to sub in if you need me."

"Oh, Beth, that'd be so great!" Lori exclaimed. She reached into her oversized purse and pulled out a small appointment book stuffed to bursting with papers of every color. She handed Beth a flier with a listing of rehearsal and show times and instructed, "We only have three rehearsals left so if you could make any of them that'd be great. We have two performances, one on Saturday night and one Sunday afternoon." She gripped Beth's hand then and added, "I will owe you forever, you're amazing for doing this."

Beth laughed, "It's no problem, I like to play and don't mind helping out the kids. I should be able to make all the rehearsals, at least for a few hours."

Lori waved her off and replied, "Don't worry about it, just as long as we can run through all the songs with you at least once we'll be okay. I'll send you the sheet music, I have a .pdf somewhere…" Lori paused, her face so full of relief it almost made Beth's heart hurt, then Lori leaned across the counter to pull her into a tight hug with one arm, "Thank you, really. You have no idea."

Beth returned the hug, wondering what other pressures Lori may be experiencing and glad she could do something to relieve a little of it. "You're welcome, I'm happy to help."

After Lori left, Glenn poked his head out from the kitchen to ask, "Everything okay?"

Beth nodded, "Sure, but I'm going to be helping Lori out with the school play so I may need to cut back on some shifts here."

Glenn agreed easily, "No problem, we take too much advantage of you already."

"That's not true," Beth argued and they bantered back and forth about it all the way until closing.

True to her word, Lori sent a .pdf of the sheet music to Beth and she found herself sitting at her piano running through it with some trepidation when her phone rang.

"Hello?" She answered absently, eyes resting on a particularly nasty bit of sixteenth notes that promised to give her hands a run for their money. What had she gotten herself into?

"Hey Beth, it's, uh, Daryl," The voice replied from across the line and Beth instantly sat up straighter, turning away from the music with a smile.

"Hi!" She responded quickly, feeling dumb for not seeing his name on her screen when she'd answered. "How're you?"

"Good," He answered, "Got your message and figured I should give ya a call about the house warmin'?"

He sounded a little unsure and Beth felt her smile broaden in response, "Right, okay, well Glenn and Maggie are onboard so whenever you want to have it we'll be there."

Daryl cleared his throat a little and Beth could hear some shuffling across the line as he replied, "Alright, that's good. Thinkin' I'd need about another week so maybe next Saturday?"

"Perfect," Beth agreed, "How about around 7?"

His relief was almost palpable as he replied, "Yeah, alright, sounds fine."

"I'll spread the word," Beth added helpfully, knowing he wouldn't have Glenn or Maggie's contact information. Not wanting to hang up she asked, "So how was the rest of your day?"

"Uh, it was alright," Daryl replied, voice unsure again. After a moment he added on, "Had a few other cars show up after you left so I stayed busy. You?"

Beth realized she had been twirling the ends of her hair around a finger as she listened to his voice and shook herself hard before replying, "Oh it was fine. Maggie is still sick so I went over to make sure she was okay. Then I spent the rest of the day at the pizzeria helping out Glenn. So yeah, I stayed busy too, I guess."

She heard a light huff and wondered if he'd laughed at her comparison. She decided she didn't like speaking to him on the phone, she wanted to be able to see his face. Daryl was a man of subtleties, most of which were lost on the phone.

She let out a sigh without meaning to and Daryl asked in a rough voice, "Ya alright?"

"Oh yeah, sorry," Beth hurriedly assured him, feeling careless. Apparently her mouth was still running ahead of her brain though because she followed up with, "I was just thinking about how it's easier to talk to you in person where I can see your face." In the following silence she smacked herself in the forehead and berated herself silently. Now he'd think she was trying to ask him out or something. Not wanting to argue with herself about whether or not that'd be a bad thing she quickly added, "Sorry, that probably sounds dumb…"

"Nah," He finally replied, voice a little softer than before, "I get it. I ain't really a talker, kinda suck at bein' on the phone."

Beth laughed lightly into the phone, relieved, and replied, "Well, you're better than you think. I just wish I knew you better, I guess. I think it'd be a little easier then."

Daryl let out a sort of grunt of affirmation and Beth smiled to herself, biting her lip to keep from beaming. For all her run on sentences and endless chattering, she enjoyed Daryl's soft spoken silences, his tendency to listen and observe. She liked that when he did speak she was eager to listen because no matter what he said, it was important because of its rarity. His words carried so much meaning because they were so carefully chosen. They were placed into the world to convey specific things to the person he spoke to, making that person worthy and precious to him as a result. It made her feel so valued and special, to be on the receiving end of Daryl's words.

After a long pause, Beth smiled into the phone, "Well… I guess I should say goodnight. Morning comes early on the farm."

"Ya live on a farm?" Daryl asked.

"Of course," Beth replied simply, "What, did you think I was some city girl?"

Daryl snorted lightly, "Nah, knew ya weren't nothin' like that, just didn't know it was a farm."

"Yep, farm girl born and raised," Beth declared proudly, "I rise with the sun and let me tell you that sun is getting up earlier and earlier every day."

Another puff of air that Beth decided must be a Daryl laugh and he responded, "Goin' into summer you're probably right."

She laughed and said good night, feeling full and content as she stared at his name on her screen. There was just something about him that made her happy, something different and new that she'd never experienced before. She found herself looking forward to seeing him again, to talking to him again. And she hoped he finished his cabin sooner rather than later.


End file.
